


Our Summer

by StrawberrieKisses



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Flirting, Clubbing, Epic Friendship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mentions of Suicide Attempts, Panic Attacks, Panicking Characters, References to Depression, not sure where this is going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-07-30 04:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20091301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberrieKisses/pseuds/StrawberrieKisses
Summary: Jongin wasn't meant to be at the club,but man was he glad he showed up.Kyungsoo was just aching to leave, and if a tan beauty of a man wants to tag along...well he's not going to say no.(a/n: if you like something/don't like something please tell me so that I can address it! Thank you!)





	1. "Hi"- Jongin, 2k19

Jongin knows he should be in his room studying for the math exam he has Monday morning and not currently standing in one of the biggest clubs in all of Seoul at 2:30 AM. But, _ man_, the cutie in the corner looking slightly annoyed and mumbling a song to himself was too captivating. Jongin _can't_ just leave without at least introducing himself. 

Jongin was generally a good student. He had his moments of irresponsibility, but, for the most part, he got above average scores. He completed his work on time, and he was liked by his teachers. He was known around the campus for his handsome looks and amazing dancing skills, but he kept a close group of friends that he never strayed far from. It wasn't that he didn't like people or he considered himself better than everyone- he just liked being able to have a circle of friends who he could speak to about anything and everything. If someone approached him, he was friendly but short and to the point. In a nutshell, he liked his privacy and enjoyed the small niche of friends he had created for himself because they were silly and understood him <strike> and didn't stab him in the back like _**some people**_</strike>.

So, why was he in the largest night club in all of Seoul at an ungodly hour of the night, you ask? Beats him, he got tired of studying, and Sehun wanted to go out on a Sunday night. Therefore, Jongin, _ being the ever vigilant Hyung that he is_, accompanied Sehun- no questions asked. 

Okay, so maybe he wasn't the _ best_ Hyung, but cut him some slack he was only a few months older than the kid! In actuality, Jongin just wanted to see what all the hype of this club was about and looking at another math equation was going to make him cry, but, y'know, acting like he was there to care for his younger friend seemed like a good enough excuse to quit starring at his calculus book with disdain. 

Jongin literally _jumped_ at the idea of having an excuse to leave his room. He threw on a button-up plain white shirt, some black jeans, slipped on some sneakers and combed some pomade through his hair before literally bouncing out of his dorm room door. He dressed simply, but fashionable enough _(I mean, everyone still ogled at him so he must have been doing **something** right)_. Sehun, on the other hand, dressed to impress in a black blouse with mesh cut-outs near his collar bones and some jeans that must have cost half of his tuition, but **_whatever_**. 

The subway ride to the club was uneventful. Sehun made some lame jokes, Jongin pretended to laugh so he wouldn't hurt his feelings, some dirty old man in the corner stared at them the entire ride with a deviant look on his face, y'know, _ the usual_. 

When they finally entered the club, however, Sehun, disappeared into the crowd the moment they stepped in. A simple "Bye Hyung." with a wave over his shoulder was all Jongin's mind was able to compose of him through the sea of young dancing bodies and blaring loudspeakers. 

Well, _ fuck_, now what was he supposed to do? He can't just leave, what if Sehun tries to hook up with someone? What if he does something stupid like start undressing on the subway and ends up getting arrested again? What if he grabs a spiked drink? What if he loses his phone and can't call for help? What if that guy with the pale skin and plump lips in the corner doesn't have anyone to buy a drink for him? 

Jongin really was the best Hyung, _ hypervigilant as always._

He leaned against the bar. It was sleek black marble with glowing neon lights on the underside. It was surprisingly clean for the number of people (and drinks) served. Jongin tried to look inconspicuous as possible as he leaned over and strained his neck in attempt to take a peek at the pale skinned beauty.

He was failing in humorous proportions.

Kyungsoo, said pale-skinned beauty in the corner, noticed Jongin _(honestly with that face who wouldn't)_, but he wasn't just going to start flirting right away. That would make him look too desperate and eager. **No. Not again.**

_'Okay Kyunggie, time for a game plan!'_ Kyungsoo whispered to himself, bouncing on his toes in anxiety. _ 'I can't just walk up there and introduce himself **that would be weird**. If I bought the dude a drink I'll look like a creep I can't look like a ** creep ** AND I'm too far from the bar I might lose sight of the ** hunk** before I can even place an order, so scratch that idea.'_ Kyungsoo waved his hand in front of his face as if he was literally swatting the idea away. _ '**Maybe** if I just walked by and dropped my wallet' '_

"Hi..." '_**what next?! what next!?**_' "M-my name is Jongin." And just like that, there was a hand smack in front of his torso, waiting for its' respective shake. 

Two pairs of eyes met- one looking very obviously more nervous than the other <strike> (It was Kyungsoo. He was the nervous one.)</strike>

"Kyungsoo." He spoke softly, his voice drowned out by the blaring pop music. Jongin leaned in to hear him better, and Kyungsoo retracted into himself in nervousness. 

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you!" Jongin shouted once again.

'Sweet baby Jesus he's too close! _ He's too close!_ <strike> And he smells like apples and cologne ohmagawd!'=</strike>

"Kyungsoo!" he shouted with his chin sticking out as if to assert dominance before cowering into himself once again. Jongin was a little taken aback by the deep voice that resonated from the small fame of the man before him, but nonetheless it was a nice surprise. 

'You've been holding his hand for too long you creep.' 

'Maybe I should let go... or like... well, I mean he's _ not_ letting go. Goddamnit he is so hot!..'

It must have been a strange scene. Two handsome young men standing in a club, neon lights flashing and the latest hoe anthem booming from the DJ's stand, confined to their corner by the sweaty people dancing against each other and drinking like their livers didn't exist, there they were- stuck in the middle of a handshake, staring at each others faces like time stood still just for them. And it was- the earth was still, but not because they had met their soulmates or anything corny like that. The earth was still because they were both mortified their their own social ineptness. Neither of them had the clarity of mind to withdraw their hands<strike> _ how embarrassing_</strike>. 

'I'm in too deep now. **I'm too deep!** I should just let go, walk away, and go bury myself in a hole where I belong I swear to Jesus Kyungsoo why are you so unbelievably _weird_?!...' Kyungsoo's internal struggle was skyrocketing by the second as he attempted to withdraw his hand from the firm grasp, but Jongin was just getting started.

"You wanna dance?" He shouted to the doe-eyed man. Even Jongin was surprised by his own invitation. It was an impulsive question birthed by a rush of confidence that honestly had no right to be in him at this moment. Nevertheless, his confidence was here, so Jongin held Kyungsoo's hand tighter. When Kyungsoo nodded in affirmation, Jongin led them to the dance floor. 

'This was a _bad_ idea...' Jongin realized the moment they stepped on the dance floor because both men were bombarded by the smell of sweat and alcohol, the thunder of music, the bodies of sticky scantily dressed males and females alike.

They stumbled around for a few moments, attempting to move to the beat of the music while being tousled though the sea of drunk bodies before Kyungsoo reached for Jongins wrists ( both of which were in the air to stop himself from pushing the girl grinding her ass off of his crotch) and pulled him away from the compacted space. 

Jongin was again surprised by the strength Kyungsoo had. Despite Kyungsoo's small demeanor, he was very strong. It saved him from awkwardly telling the girl he wasn't interested. 

"You wanna... get outta here?" Jongin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly once they were out of the more compacted part of the club. He noticed Kyungsoo looked annoyed and on the verge of walking away. Jongin lifted his hands in front of himself to show innocence. 

"Not like that! Not like that, Kyungsoo!" He tittered out a laugh before continuing, "I was thinking maybe we could walk to a nearby park?" He smiled sheepishly, "Clubs aren't really my scene."

Kyungsoo stared at Jongins face, attempting to analyze Jongin's intentions. 

'I mean... he _ is_ cute.'

Kyungsoo looked at Jongin square in the face, a comical look of determination varnishes his features.

"Okay." He nodded and walked straight out of the club without so much as looking back to see if Jongin was following.

Jongin stood there, again surprised by the amount of fearlessness that seemed to radiate from Kyungsoo despite him being unable to say his own name just five minutes ago. He was strange- Jongin liked him. 

Kyungsoo had walked ahead Jongin, so he waited for Jongin right outside of the club, which still had a line of young people hoping to enter that circled the large building. 

Jongin got outside after haphazardly moving squeezing though the crowd. He sounded out of breath as he took out his phone and nervously opened up his maps app. "Hey- so I think the nearest park is a couple of blocks from here... maybe 20 minutes?".

"I know a park nearby- let's go there..." Kyungsoo smiled, but it seemed nervous and lopsided.

"...O-okay." Jongin blinked up at Kyungsoo, but put his phone away and jogged to catch up. Kyungsoo had walked quite a ways in the few moments Jongin took to compose himself. He walked nervously in a fast pace, his arms were straight and unmoving from his sides, his shoulders were down, and it was very obvious he was actively trying to keep himself from staring at his feet. 

"Don't walk so fast!" Jongin laughed and held Kyungsoo's hand, it was sweaty, but it was soft and warm. Kyungsoo initially tensed up and face turned bright red, but he didn't retract his hand. As a matter of fact, he got more relaxed as the moments passed. 

'Oh my god, I swear I am so smooth. <strike>Ryan Reynolds should take notes.</strike>' Jongin smiled proudly. He felt joy in his heart when he noticed Kyungsoo's more relaxed demeanor; it wasn't even because Kyungsoo was cute anymore- Jongin just liked Kyunsoo's personality and the fact that Kyungsoo was totally his type had nothing to do with it. 'I can't believe he is so adorable; he's like the human incarnation of a penguin. A _**buff**_ penguin, goddamn look at those arms! Like... <strike> 'Hey there daddy you can choke me'</strike>\- EW I am gross I just met the guy I should be making him comfortable I shouldn't be thinking of fucking him, what's wrong with you Jongin?! Jongin smacked himself on the head with his free hand. Kyungsoo looked at him with wide eyes. 'Why am I so disgusting I need to cut back on the porn!'

'What the fuck with I get myself into?' Kyungsoo turned his head and stared ahead after Jongin smacked himself, afraid to look back at him. Jongin, however, demanded his attention when he tripped over his own feet and tugged painfully on his arm in the subsequent stumble.

"Sorry!" 

"Sorry..." 

'That was weird. We can't _both be awkward_. C'mon Jongin put on your big boy pants and ask him a question!'

"So... what were you doing in that club? You seemed uncomfortable." Jongin shifted his torso so that he was facing Kyungsoo, but his feet were pointed straight ahead. 

"Yeah, I was." Kyungsoo laughed softly. "Uncomfortable, that is. Um... Well my friends wanted to go, and I guess I wanted to look more 'daring' or 'outgoing' or like... not seem like a 'downer' all the time or whatever..." he sighed as he dropped his hand that was making air quotes. 

"Anyways, I lost track of my friends after about 10 minutes. I waited at the bar half expecting to see one of them, half expecting to die of anxiety..." He half-heartedly kicked a rock on the street, sighing and putting his free hand in his jeans pocket. It was a warm night, but Kyungsoo was set in his anxious habits of pinching his thighs through his jean pocket. 

"Sorry, you don't have to talk about it anymore." Jongin tried to look Kyungsoo in the eyes, but Kyungsoo's face was downcast, and his shoulders were slumped. 

'I swear to Jesus- he _hates_ me now! I shouldn't have asked that question! _ Why am I so stupid!?_'

"Why were you there, Jongin?" Kyungsoo looked up, and Jongin was once again taken aback not only by the shift in mood but by the way Kyungsoo's pale skin seemed to glow despite the gritty street they were walking down. 

Jongin sighed. "I was studying for a math final, but I got bored- my friend wanted to go check out the club... and I wanted to leave my dorm." 

They both nodded in understanding and continued walking in stiff silence. It was nice- they were both talking to someone outside of their respective closed niche of friends. It was new and welcomed. After walking what Kyungsoo deemed to be half way to the park, he broke the silence that had engulfed them once they left the major streets of the city.

"So, you're a student?" 

"Yeah, I go to Seoul University." Jongin smiled. 

"Me too."

"Really?!" Jongin whipped around, placing his hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders and effectively halting their movement. 

Kyungsoo raised his hands in front of himself defensively. His eyes were wide and instantly filled with fear. Jongin once again backed off and stepped back as he lifted his hands in the air. 

"Sorry... I was just surprised. I've never seen you before." 

"It's okay..." Kyungsoo walked past Jongin- again stiff in his movements. "We're near the park." 

Jongin caught up to Kyungsoo, again, and watched over his face. Kyungsoo noticed, but Jongin was intrigued- he couldn't look away. 

'Stop staring, stupid! He noticed. _ **He noticed!**_ Goddamnit you look like a creep! C'mon Jongin just talk to him and tell him that you want to know more about him instead of staring like a lowlife!' 

"If you're wondering about the anxiety I mentioned then just ask." Kyungsoo stared forward but glanced slightly in Jongin's direction.

"O-okay... so... do you struggle a lot with anxiety?" Jongin's voice raised in pitch as the sentence progressed. He cleared his throat and stuck his hands in his pockets, raising his shoulders and looking inquisitive.

"I have a panic disorder. I've had it since I was little. I take medication for it, but I still struggle a lot... it sucks but hey I left my room today and I met you- which I take as a win." Kyungsoo smiled.

"Did something cause the disorder? Wait- is that a stupid or too personal of a question? Cause if it is- forget I asked!" Jongin let out his jumble of words quickly. 

"No, no!" Kyungsoo chuckled and looked over to Jongin, his hands raised to show he was fine. "It's not too personal." He shrugged. 

"Well... I was twelve when I first noticed I had a problem. I had a panic attack... I was at school." Kyungsoo seemed to cringe at the memory. "It was the first week of my eighth year, and I didn't have any friends... I was all alone hyperventilating in the locker room when a security guard found me. For the rest of the year everyone- and I mean everyone- either bullied me or treated me like I was made of glass- it was so embarrassing! I'll save you the story of the bullying 'cause man that was terrible."

Kyungsoo sighed and stared at his feet before continuing. "Anyways, I had panic attacks every day after that, sometimes multiple attacks in a single day- it made me really tired, but I was unable to sleep. My teachers noticed and contacted social services and caused such a commotion, but I get it they were just trying to help. My parents are mostly okay, though, so don't worry!" Kyungsoo laughed nervously and waved his hands in front of himself. "They have their faults, but they are manageable." Kyungsoo looked up at Jongins concentrated face; he was growing more self-conscious as his story progressed.

"Um... I started medication soon after that, but nothing was working, everything we tried gave me headaches, made me lose weight, made me gain weight, made me sluggish, made me hyperactive- it was a mess." Kyungsoo paused for a moment. 

"Well, _eventually_ we found a medicine that seemed to help more than hurt, and I am still on that medicine to this day! That doesn't mean high school didn't suck though!" He laughed sarcastically and flailed his arms dramatically "It was literally the worst! _Like it sucked ass!_" He laughed in lost nostalgia- Jongin was confused by Kyungsoo's sudden outburst, but he was glad that Kyungsoo seemed to be more confident. 

"Anyways, I got hospitalized twice for some suicide attempts, and it was _not_ cute...." he glanced up and Jongin with pursed lips, half expecting Jongin to be looking for a way out of the one-sided conversation, but he seemed to be listening intently. He made a popping sound with his lips and continued. 

"And then I graduated... the thought of leaving my hometown terrified me, but someone else in my town also got accepted to Seoul University, and they reached out to me 'cause they were scared too. We moved out together, and he was friendly enough, but he didn't seem to care about me much... I guess I was someone he could talk too until someone better came along...." Kyungsoo trailed off; he seemed looked lost in thought, so Jongin was about to nudge him to continue, but Kyungsoo snapped out of his thoughts as suddenly as he had drained into it. 

"I guess I stuck around him because I needed an anchor to home... But- he did some really fucked up shit to me because I trusted him. I've made my peace with it but y'know- it still hurts." He chuckled sadly; almost as if he was tired of his own anguish.

"Anyways, that whole incident was in the middle of my freshman year. I joined a support group and made the friends that I went to the club with. They helped me get the support I needed and I was able to finish a lot of my degree from home. My friends-" Kyungsoo smiled wholeheartedly at the thought of them. "they are the _best_" he pursed his lips in afterthought "... but sometimes I feel like I'm holding them back from having fun, so I decided to accompany them to the club... aaannddd then I lost them the moment we stepped him." He chuckled. "And then I met you... That's my anxiety slash 'how I got here' story." still Kyungsoo smiled sheepishly to himself before looking over to Jongin.

There was a cricket chirping in the distance that Kyungsoo could hear over Jongin's insistent silence.

"Now would be a good time for you to say something, Jongin!" Kyungsoo teased in a childish voice and stuck out his tongue in a feigned mocking stance.

Jongin opened and closed his mouth like a stupid fish. 

"W-well, what am I supposed to say?" 

"I'm not sure.... people usually say they're sorry or try to relate by saying they get nervous before a presentation, but don't you that, I hate that." Kyungsoo gazed expectantly at Jongin. 

"Can I get to know you more, Kyungsoo?" Jongin snaked his arm around Kyungsoo's and smiled down at him. 

'When the fuck did I get so confident?' 

Kyungsoo grinned. 

"I'd like that, but only if I can get to know you too." 

They arrived at the park. It was void of people, but Jongin heard frogs and crickets loudly beginning their nights. It seemed tranquil.

"Do you come to this park often?" Jongin asked as he set foot into the dewy green grass that crinkled with his steps. 

"Yea. I come here when I feel overwhelmed. It's a nice place to run... or scream... or cry." Kyungsoo looked around the park with fondness overflowing from his eyes despite the implication of the reasons he appreciates the park. 

"You really like it here?" Jongin looked around too. There were trees scattered throughout the park and, in the distance, he could see a large group of what seemed like neverending trees. 

"I _love_ it here, but this isn't even half of it. Follow me!" Kyungsoo removed his hand from Jongin's and started running to the trees. 

Jongin stood there stupidly again before running after Kyungsoo. They ran to the cluster of trees; their path was lit only by the moonlight, and their ears were filled with their the sounds of their own breathing and the croaks of frogs that were growing louder. Kyungsoo started laughing at himself. He barely met this 'Jongin', but he was already so comfortable around him, and he was going to show him his favorite place in the universe. A place that was just <>I>his. 

The air was crisp and blew their hair back with its gentle blowing. This was nice- it felt liberating. 

Jongin figured they would stop before they reached the tree's, but Kyungsoo ran through them in almost complete darkness. He ran with uncanny familiarity; he zoomed past the tree's and looked back to notice Jongin struggling to keep up before coming to a halt after smacking himself straight in the face with a tree log. 

'_Shit._'

Kyungsoo felt bad for getting so excited. He knew this part of the park, he didn't need a light to traverse it, but he foolishly forgot that Jongin had never been there before. 

He knelt before Jongin, who sat up with a groan and rubbed his forehead.

"I am so sorry!" Kyungsoo whisper-screamed. 

"No, no!" Jongin put up his hand to stop Kyungsoo from apologizing. "It's my fault. I should have been watching where I was going." He moved to get up, but stumbled back down onto the twigs and grass of the ground below him.

"Here let me help you..." Kyungsoo wrapped an arm around Jongin's back and hoisted both of them upright with a soft grunt. "The clearing is really close..." Kyungsoo kept walking forward- aiding Jongin who seemed to be regaining his senses by the second. 

They walked slowly for another five minutes, in the dark so close to each other that Jongin could hear Kyungsoo's racing heart. 

'Actually, that might be _ my_ heart.' 

Nevertheless, Jongin tried to see Kyungsoo's face through the darkness that was sometimes enlightened when there was a clearing in the tree branches above them.

'He's so pretty...'

They reached a clearing, and Jongin could see once again by the soft light of the full moon. He looked around and saw a large bolder in the center of the clearing. He could hear water softly running somewhere near them. Kyungsoo led them to the bolder and helped Jongin sit down. 

"This is it!" He spread his hands and spun around excitedly. "This is my safe haven."

(a/n: I have a general idea of where I want this to go... actually getting this story there tho... idk)


	2. Not now- please, not now.

(a/n: Jongin’s fine! This whole situation coming up is to show Kyungsoo’s character- there are a lot of mentions/depictions of a panic disorder here!)

Jongin looked around in curiosity, but his vision was slightly blurry. He turned to see that there was a small creek in between the rocks that lead further into the trees. Kyungsoo followed his gaze before growing excited and further explaining their current location. 

‘He’s so cute when he’s excited… like a little bunny…’

“I don’t think anyone else knows about this part of the park, it’s a pretty unpopular park but its so beautiful!” He ran to the edge of the tree’s and pointed in the direction of the water. 

“Beyond here is a little lake, I’m guessing that's where the water comes from but-” He turned to look at Jongin, whose head was nodding up and down in a loopy state. 

“Hey, you okay?” He moved closer. His face was littered with concern, “Jongin?” 

Jongin slurred out a “This is really nice Kyung!” before beginning to fall back onto the boulder beneath him. Kyungsoo yelped and ran to keep his head from hitting the rock too hard. He failed. 

‘Oho… that had to hurt.’ Kyungsoo hobbled in place quickly on his feet out of fear. He bit his lip in contemplation before trying to wake Jongin up. <strike> And, like the completely incompetent man that he is, he got distracted by Jongins _ lusious_ lips.</strike>

“Hey! Jongin! Hey Jongin!” Kyungsoo shook him by his shoulders and noticed how cold Jongin was. He wasn’t reacting to Kyungsoo’s voice. He panicked and immediately sat Jongin’s limp body up to let him lean against him before fishing his phone from his pocket and dialing emergency services with trembling fingers. 

“911, what is your emergency?” 

“Hi! Hello! Yes! I’m at the south side of Hanin Park and my friend ran into a tree and now he’s not waking up!” Kyungsoo’s voice was trembling as he frantically pinched his thighs and attempted to control his breathing.

“Okay sir, I’m going to need you to calm down.” she sounded like a caring lady; her tone was very nurturing. Kyungsoo began to breathe unsteady and feared he would hyperventilate soon. 

‘Jongin needs me right now! DO NOT FREAK OUT! NOT NOW!!!’

“Okay! Okay! I can be calm!” his voice went in and out as he bit back tears. He was terrified. 

“Okay thank you so much you’re doing great honey. Now- what's your name?”

“Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.” he looked over to Jongin, who was beginning to mumble. 

“Okay Kyungsoo, there’s an ambulance on the way. Is your friend bleeding?” she sounded like a caring auntie. 

“Umm! Um! I don't know! I- I don’t see any blood!” 

“Okay. Okay great…” Kyungsoo heard some typing on her end. “That’s good, that’s good Kyungsoo. Are you in any danger?” Kyungsoo could hardly hear her voice over the sound of his own heart beating sporadically.

“No, it’s just us here!” Kyungsoo pulled his dark hair at the roots, feeling the pain slightly steady him back to a working capacity.

“Okay Kyungsoo, I need you to go to the main path on the west side so that you can help the paramedics reach your friend faster, okay? You think you can do that for me, Kyungsoo?” 

“I don't want to leave him!” Kyungsoo began to cry. This was his fault; he was the one that had them running stupidly. 

“Kyungsoo, what’s your friend's name?” She sounded firm in her actions. 

“Jongin! His name is Jongin!” Kyungsoo fainted and shook his free hand violently as his fingers were growing numb. He was hyperventilating. 

“Okay Kyungsoo, for Jongin’s sake, I need you to go to the main road. I need you to do that for me, okay?” She was stern in her pleas. There was silence on Kyungsoo’s end of the line as he tried to gasp for air. 

“Kyungsoo?” 

“I can do it!” his voice was small as he stood on wobbly legs and placed Jongin’s limp body back down, “I’m going! I can do it!” 

“Good, sweetie, you’re doing great!” 

Kyungsoo ran faster than he ever had, he could hear the sirens and see the flashing lights of the emergency first responders coming through the thick trees. He stood in the entrance of the tree’s blinded by the headlights of the screeching ambulance. He resembled a deer, terrified beyond belief, engulfed in the lights of the vehicles with bloodshot eyes. 

“He’s over here! He’s over here!” Kyungsoo ran back into the dense trees and the paramedics ran with him- their flashlights illuminating the way. He made it to Jongin, who was still lying motionless on the boulder. 

A young paramedic came up to Jongin and lifted his eyelids to flash a light in. He shouted orders to the other paramedics before they lifted Jongin onto a stretcher and began to make their way back to the ambulance. 

“Is he going to be okay?!” Kyungsoo stood far from anyone and wrung his hands roughly against each other so hard the skin was becoming raw. Said paramedic began to walk slowly towards Kyungsoo with his arm stretched out in front of himself. 

“He’s going to be fine. You’re okay. We need to head back to the ambulance.” The paramedic rubbed Kyungsoo’s shoulder and managed to budge Kyungsoo from his spot. They reached the ambulances, and the paramedic informed Kyungsoo that the ambulance carrying Jongin had left the moment he was loaded. Beside a single ambulance, there were no more first responders remaining. 

Two more paramedics were waiting outside the ambulance, their faces showed relief when they noticed their fellow paramedic nearing them.  
“Junmyeon we need to get back!” one of the paramedics yelled as he entered the drivers side. Junmyeon opened the back doors and once again coaxed Kyungsoo inside. Kyungsoo remained in shock as they began to move and paramedic bandaged his hands. 

“What ‘s going to happen to Jongin?” his voice was tired, but his eyes were wide and his legs were trembling. 

“We’re heading to him right now, kid. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” Junmyeon kept a decent amount of space in between them before he patted Kyungsoo’s knee and connected a blood pressure guage to his arm. Kyungsoo felt the world moving too quickly. He could vaguely hear Junmyeon asking him questions before he began to sob and was given an oxygen mask. The cabin was spinning and he couldn’t feel his arms or legs. He just saw Junmyeon kneeling before him and saying something but he couldn’t make out the words. 

They arrived to the hospital and Junmyeon all but pulled Kyungsoo out of the ambulance before handing him over to a nurse and asking her to take care of him before jumping into the ambulance and zooming away to another emergency. 

Kyungsoo was able to grasp that he hadn’t been dropped off in the emergency room entrance of the hospital. The nurse pulled Kyungsoo into an empty room inside the hospital before sitting him down on a stretcher and taking his phone from him. She unlocked Kyungsoo’s phone and dialed the first number she found.  
It rang 5 times before someone answered. They were shouting over loud music and slurred their words only slightly. 

“Kyung?! Where you at little buddy?!” 

“Hello, I am nurse Kim at Ulsan Hospital, your friend is here and we can’t seem to calm him down, would you be able to come?”

“_Shit!_” The nurse heard the person on the other line sober up in a matter of seconds before shouting to another person about Kyungsoo. She then heard a loud rustling before the blaring loud music sounded muffled and she could hear the distinct sound of Seoul traffic. 

“Hello?” Nurse Kim feared they had dropped their phone or decided to ignore her and leave Kyungsoo alone.

“Hello, yes! I’ll be there in a few minutes, please don’t leave him alone! He doesn’t like it when you touch him or talk to him but please don’t leave him alone! His name is Do Kyungsoo, he’s 25, he’s allergic to lamotrigine. He’s taking Sertraline and Fluxoetine but I’m not sure how much though- JONGDAE WHAT ARE THE DOSAGES?!” 

The nurse heard a loud rustling noise again before a new voice came through the speaker. 

“He’s taking 50 millagrams of Sertraline and 120 millagrams of Fluoxetine! We’ll be there in 15 minutes please tell him that Baekhyun and Jongdae are on their way!” 

“Okay, will do, thank you.” The nurse hung up and looked at Kyungsoo pitifully. 

“Jongdae and Baekhyun are coming, Kyungsoo.” 

He nodded quickly, still breathing fast and crying, trying to remove the bandages from his hands.

“Hey there, leave those on- will you?” the nurse spoke softly and held Kyungsoo’s hands. He swatted her away frantically. 

“Please! Please leave me alone! _Don’t_ feel sorry for me!” he looked at her angrily while cowering into the bed. The nurse moved away with her palms in the air.


	3. Get outta here, Shakespeare

Jongdae and Baekhyun arrived at the hospital within twenty minutes of the call despite the amount of traffic they had to traverse through. By the time they arrived, Kyungsoo’s panic attack had run its course and he was getting drowsy from an injection he received thanks to his sudden outburst against the nurse. They were worried beyond belief for their best friend. They felt horrible for leaving him and ran to his room the moment they signed in as guests. The nurse greeted them pitifully, explaining that Kyungsoo had shown signs of aggressive behavior, so they administered a sedative for his and the staff's safety. 

Jongdae and Baekhyun had met three years ago, about a month before they met Kyungsoo. Baekhyun was a volunteer at their campus sexual abuse and assault survivor counseling group. Jongdae came in one day after suffering a particularly terrible nightmare, and Baekhyun lent his shoulder to cry on <strike> and dropped hot coffee on him a week later, but that was unrelated</strike>. A month after Jongdae and Baekhyun met, Kyungsoo was ushered into a group session by his literature professor. The professor, Ms. Won, was known around campus for being very compassionate- although passing her class was still difficult. One day she asked Kyungsoo what was wrong and why he was suddenly missing more and more classes. Because someone finally seemed to care, Kyungsoo broke down and told her everything that had happened. The professor, Mrs. Won, immedietly took the sobbing Kyungsoo to the campus police and had him speak to an officer. After waiting all night with him at the police station, she took him to the support group the next morning and waited for him there, too. 

Jongdae was also taking Professor Won’s class, but at a different time, and tried to get Kyungsoo to talk to him by discreetly asking for help on a mutual assignment after the group session. In a heartbeat, Kyungsoo wanted to help Jongdae. He put all hands on deck and gave Jongdae his phone number along with is literature notebook and textbook for him to look over. Kyungsoo asked to see Jongdae’s past assignments so that he could see that they needed to work on, too. There was nothing academic that Kyungsoo would not do (except for presentations and competitions). He was there to help Jongdae and, eventually, he started speaking to others. Initially, Baekhyun didn’t speak to Kyungsoo; he would, however, speak to staff about getting him into the independent study program and would give Kyungsoo extra refreshments <strike> always silently watching over Kyungsoo which ended up making Kyungsoo even more anxious</strike>, but he gave Kyungsoo his space and let him begin the conversation. 

Within the semester, the three of them were best friends. There was nothing that they didn’t speak about with each other <strike> sometimes it was a bit too much, Jongdae and Kyungsoo didn’t need to know what color Baekhyun’s shit was every morning</strike>. Kyungsoo took a some time to come out of his shell, but, once he was comfortable, he was there to stay. They moved into an apartment together and, for the most part, Kyungsoo stayed indoors. Baekhyun and Jongdae both understood that Kyungsoo had gone through many traumatic experiences and never pressured him to leave the house. But, they also knew it was bad for him to stay alone for too long and they would take him out when they ran errands or when they went on small excursions for birthdays and holidays. They never wanted to leave him alone out of care. They understand that Kyungsoo is an adult but they still care for him like they would a younger brother. Their nights consisted of movies and popcorn, video games and chips, midnight grocery shopping trips, 2AM karaoke sessions, and late night baking. Some nights were good, other nights were bad, most nights were just okay and they went through all of it together. 

A week ago, Baekhuyn spoke _ very excitedly_ about the new club that had opened. He babbled on about how all his classmates were saying it was _ the shit_. He only spoke about it that day, but Kyungsoo unlocked his phone a few nights later <strike> because it was the closest to him while he was baking some cookies</strike>, and he saw all the open tabs were about club SSiMi. He felt guilty. Jongdae suffered from post traumatic stress just like Kyungsoo did, but he responded better to treatment and just overall had more time to heal and construct a positive outlook on life. Kyungsoo knew his friends would like to go out every once in awhile, and he felt like he always held them back from having fun. He wanted to be more outgoing, so he mentioned slight interest just passing in conversation. Jongdae and Baekhyun were immediately on his ass about going to check it out. 

Jongdae and Baekhyun admit they drink way too much and sometimes need to be told when to stop, but they both know that was no excuse for leaving Kyungsoo alone. Baekhyun was the first to leave the group <strike> like the hoe he is</strike>. A few minutes into Baekhyun’s departure, Jongdae told Kyungsoo he would be back in a second because he saw a classmate that he thought was cute. He never came back. Kyungsoo figured he should move to a less crowded space as he was getting anxious, and he would be able to be seen by his friends more easily. It was there that he noticed Jongin <strike> the sexy **man** that was about to break his neck trying check him out</strike>, and the rest you already know. 

After the debriefing on Kyungsoo's health, they were ushered into the hospital room. Jongdae sat next to Kyungsoo softly singing a song and Baekhyun took a seat on the chair beside his bed and began apologizing profusely while running his fingers though Kyungsoo’s damp hair. Kyungsoo slurred out some apologies to them for ‘ruining their night’ before mumbling something about ‘running with a cutie patootie’ and ‘Jongin’ as he dozed off again from the sedative he had been administered.

Baekhyun and Jongdae faced each other with perplexity painting their features. 

“Did he just say the name I think he said and talk about who I think he talked about?” Baekhyun whispered, looking at Kyungsoo’s resting body in disbelief. 

“I think he did…” Jongdae followed Baekhyuns gaze in slow motion before they broke down laughing. 

“I-“ Baekhyun began in attempt to be serious, but he just had to say it, “I know we fucked up but _** DAMN!**_ our little Kyungie’s got game!” 

“I KNOW!” Jongdae reciprocated the excitement. They swooned over Kyungsoo for a moment. Just as they began discussing their groomsmen outfits, they realized they hadn’t seen Jongin at the club or in the hospital. Their expressions immediatly turned sour. They let go of each others hands which had been wrapped around each other in celebration 

“You think that little shit tried to do something and Kyung panicked?! I swear I’ll beat his ass next time I see him!” Baekhyun rolled up his sleeves and angrily paced around the room. 

“Baek, you broke your finger trying to open a jar three months ago.” Jongdae stood in front on Baekhyun with his arms crossed over his chest. “What are you gonna do? Beat him to death?”

“I DON’T GIVE TWO SHITS JONGDAE! IMMA HIRE THE MOB AND BUST HIS ASS! I AIN’T PLAYING NO GAMES!” Baekhyun was absolutely fuming. He clenched his fists so hard the knuckles turned white and groaned in frustration.

“Baek- I’m just saying that we haven’t seen him.” Jongdae turned back to Kyungsoo’s sleeping figure and rubbed his bandaged hands, “I know we have all been through some shit but we need to hear Kyungsoo out before we- Where are you going?!” Jongdae turned and saw he was alone in the room. He followed after Baekhyun, who was stalking down the hall on his way to the reception area. Baekhyun ignored him and slammed his hands on the reception desk, startling the nurse sitting there reading a book. 

“EXCUSE ME BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE KIM JONGIN IS AND WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH DO KYUNGSOO AND WHY YOU HOSPITAL PEOPLE DIDN’T PROTECT MY BEST FRIEND!” Baekhyun screeched. The nurse looked at him in amusement. She had her fair share of experience with rude visitors. 

Jongdae finally got to them and began apologizing for Baekhyun’s behavior, bowing as he was pulled Baekhyun away. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” The nurse chuckled and unlocked her computer screen. “I’m guessing you guys are… siblings? Cousins? Roommates?” 

“Something like that.” Jongdae answered curtly, sighing tiredly “Can you just tell us if Jongin is here?” 

“No worries.” Her computer booted up, “Can I have his last name?”

“Kim Jongin. We think he came in with Do Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun wormed out of Jongdae’s restraint and he went back up to her desk, calmer but still panting in anger.

“Okay… one second please…” She typed quickly and searched through departments. “I see that Do Kyungsoo is here in the psychiatric wing of the hospital and I am assuming you guys just came out of his room.” She looked up at them and they nodded rapidly. She smiled a full toothed smile before returning to the screen. “As for Kim Jongin…” She squinted to read the information. “He just got out of X-rays and he should be in his room over in the emergency department. Room 408.” She blinked up at them. “Would you like directions?” 

Baekhyun and Jondgae looked at each other in confusion again. 

“Yes, please.” They answered in unison, listening diligently for her directions. 

It was decided that Baekhyun would stay with Kyungsoo while Jongdae searched for Jongin. He walked to the emergency department as instructed, all the while going through scenario’s that might have happened to had landed both Jongin and Kyungsoo in the hospital on the same night over the phone with Baekhyun. 

“Maybe Jongin hurt himself in the club and Kyungsoo noticed. You know Kyungsoo’s a softie- he probably wanted to help him out and brought him to the hospital.” Jongdae shrugged, trying his best to reason. 

“That doesn’t explain why Kyungsoo panicked.” 

“Dude he has never been to a club before- that alone was enough to recon a panic attack. _ We left him alone, Baekhyun._” Jongdae glared at his phone as if Baekhyun was there with him. “And Jongin needed an x-ray, what if he like… I dunno broke something and it started bleeding? You remember how worked up Kyungsoo got when you broke your finger and it startled bleeding, don’t you? He was running around the apartment looking for his first aid kit and calling an ambulance like you were about to die.” 

“I still have a bad feeling.” Baekhyun retorted, looking over to Kyungsoo in guilt. 

“Okay well, what if Jongin isn’t a douchebag? I heard that he’s a pretty nice guy… what if he saw Kyungsoo panicking and he brought him to the hospital… Kyungsoo gets aggressive if someone he doesn’t know tries to help him… maybe Kyungsoo broke his nose or something?” 

“Okay! Hold on there! You know Kyungsoo would never punch someone!” Baekhyun groaned on the other line, running his fingers through his hair in frustration, “I don’t care. I don’t care! Jongin is guilty until proven innocent!”

Jongdae sighed but agreed. He hung up shortly after Baekhyun shouted at him for not walking fast enough. 

He arrived to the emergency department which was full of bustling doctors and nurses hoping to help people. He found Jongin’s room rather quickly. Jongdae lifted his fist to knock on the door. When he heard a deep voice respond “Yes?” he lost his composure and threw the door open, standing in the doorway like a crazed villain. He was faced with a startled Jongin, sitting up in a hospital gown and attempting to call someone. He had a bandage on his head and a swollen bruise covering half of his face. Jongin put his phone down and looked at him in confusion.

“Hello?” He asked, looking at Jongdae in confusion. 

“What were you doing with Kyungsoo?” Jongdae began- stalking up to Jongin with unbelievable sass. He held himself back a little because he felt sympathy for the nasty bruise on the side of Jongin's face. It was so large it got lost at the start of his hairline. He took a deep breath and continued with a calmer demeanor. 

“Hi Jongin, My name is Jongdae.” He laughed awkwardly. “I’m here with my friend Baekhyun. We’re Kyungsoo’s friends and we just wanted to know why you guys both ended up in the hospital?” Jongdae looked at him with a forced smile trying his darniest to remain calm. 

“Is Kyungsoo okay?” Jongin stared at them with wide eyes, getting up from his bed and revealing his butt as he turned to disconnect his IV plug from himself. Jongdae looked away, embarrassed, before walking over to Jongin and patting his back- going ahead and tying his hospital gown tighter once Jongin stopped moving so much. 

“Oookay there buckaroo! Calm your shit, he’s fine!” Jongdae sat him back down. 

“Where is he?” He sighed but understood why Kyungsoo’s friends were looking for him and why Jongdae seemed so angry. "I aint telling you where he is until you tell me what happened." Jongin sighed. “We were running in a park and I hit my head… I think I fainted because I remember a little bit of Kyungsoo calling an ambulance and then I remember being carried out on a stretcher. The doctors here said I have a concussion but other than that I’m okay. I was calling _my_ friend to see if he could come here to the hospital and help me out with finding Kyungsoo. The staff here won’t let me leave the room until all the tests were done but I just want to find him right now.“ he looked over to Jongdae, who was searching through his phone frantically. 

“What is it?” 

“Did he take you to this park?” Jongdae shoved his phone in Jongin’s face. He squinted at the brightness, but moved his face back to better see the image. 

“I don’t know for sure, he didn’t tell me the name of the park, but yea- it looked like that.” He nodded. “Why?” 

Jondgae waved his question away in frustrated confusion. 

“_ Why would he take you there?_” He paced in a circle, stopping abruptly to look Jongin up and down before sighing “Well I get why… but it still doesn’t make sense!" He flailed around a bit more, contemplating, before continuing. "How did you two meet?” He pointed and accusatory finger to Jongin. 

“I said ‘Hi’.” Jongin shrugged as he unlocked his phone once again. “Look, if you’re not gonna help me find him, then I’ll find him myself.” He started dialing a number again, but Jongdae snatched the phone from his hands. 

"Dude give it back!" Jongin got up and tried to wrench his phone from Jongdae's grasp.

“Listen here you little shit! I’m trying to figure out what happened and why Kyungsoo ended up in the hospital.” He put Jongin’s phone in his back pocket. 

“So he’s here?” Jongin sat up again, ready to disconnect himself from the hospital machinery. 

“Sit your bitch ass down!” Jongin forced him down by his shoulders. “He’s here. He had a panic attack. _ Why_ did he have a panic attack when he was with _ you_?” 

“How am I supposed to know? _I was unconscious_” Jongin sighed and rubbed his forehead. “He told me he has anxiety I dunno-“

“How much did he tell you?” 

“He was little when he had his first panic attack… I guess like twelve years old?” Jongdae nodded in affirmation. Jongin continued, “He had a really tough time in high school. He moved here to Seoul with a former classmate who ended up being a piece of shit of a dude. He loves you guys and you guys help him out a lot… Apparently we all go to Seoul University. He does his schoolwork from home… and he’s glad he met me.” Jongin looked up at Jongdae with a gummy smile before moving him out the way. 

“Okay I’m gonna go see him now!” Jongin sighed and got up before tripping over his own feet and stumbling back down.

“You’re not going anywhere, kid.” Jongdae pushed Jongin flat on the hospital bed and raised the bars up to keep him from falling out of the bed.

“You still haven’t told me why you guys ended up in the hospital.” He crossed his hands over his chest, looking at Jongin sternly. 

“Well you keep on interrupting me!” Jongin answered just as sternly. 

“Well I’m listening now so spill the tea, kid.” 

“Dude, you’re like top’s three years older than me!” Jongin rolled his eyes. “Well, we were at the club, right? And we were both like ‘nah fam, this ain’t it’ so we left. We walked to a park and he said he wanted to show me something so I followed him through some tree’s where I got this!” Jongin pointed to the purpleish blue bruise on the side of his face. 

Jongdae nodded, trying to hold in laughter before snorting and laughing full heartedly. 

“Oh my god! He showed you it! He hasn’t even showed _ me_ it! He’s totally whipped!” Jongdae smacked Jongins’ exposed knee lightly before walking out of the room. 

“Wait where are you going?” Jongin called out.

“I’m getting you out of here!” He called over his shoulder, finding the nearest nurse and speaking to her in hushed tones, sometimes nodding over to Jongin on the bed. 

‘<strike> His friends are weird too.</strike> Hell yea, Imma go see my buff penguin.’

Said nurse looked over to Jongin, still sitting on his hospital bed, and gave a wide smile before enthusiastically agreeing to whatever Jongdae was telling her <strike> he could have been taking about selling Jongin’s soul to the devil for all it mattered because he just wanted to see the doe eyed, pale skinned, _ luscious lipped_ penguin</strike>.

Jongdae practically skipped back to Jongin’s room. He clapped his hands in a matter of fact state. 

“My good sir,” he knelt on one knee, his right hand over his heart and his left hand on the small of his back. “It has come to my attention that you, Kim Jongin, and my best friend forever, Do Kyungsoo, have become star-crossed lovers by the members of this medical establishment and… a tree long.” He snorted in laughter before putting regaining his persona. “As Do Kyungsoo’s dutiful Steward, I must escort you to your betrothed.” 

“Wasn’t a Steward usually a lady?” 

“Shut the fuck up kid I’m trying to help you out here!” Jongdae snapped, before plastering a friendly smile on his face once again. The nurse was at his side, and she was giggling silently at her phone. 

“Alright, alright, whatever, how am I going to go see Kyungsoo?”

“Leave that to my friend here…” he patted the shoulder of the nurse to his side. 

“What’s your name again?” Jongdae whispered-screamed to her. ‘So that’s were he gets that from… It’s not as cute on Jongdae as it is on my penguin.” 

“Nurse Im.” She whispered before sliding her phone back before checking Jongin’s vitals. 

“Leave that to my friend, Nurse Im!” 

“Hey there, Sir Kim! It seems as if there’s no reason to keep you here any longer, but as you can see our emergency department is _ very_ busy we can't give you a bill of clean health as you are not currently a priority. Lucky for you, my boyfriend and I are currently on our lunch break! My boyfriend is a doctor, so I just texted him to come in.” she waved her phone in the air. “He’ll be here in a few moments so we don’t have to keep you in this nasty hospital anymore!” She patted his back in a comforting way. 

“You must be so nervous right now!” She smiled, “Don’t worry, you’ll be out of here soon.” 

Jongin looked over at Jongdae quizzically. He shrugged and mouthed ‘play along!’ Before the nurse turned and faced him. 

“The doctor will be here in just a moment and then you can go woo your girl!” 

Within two minutes, the nurse’s boyfriend walked in and checked Jongin. When Jongin was given the ‘ok’ to leave, he hurriedly slipped into his clothes before meeting Jongdae outside of his room. Once they were out of earshot from the medical couple, Jongin pulled Jongdae close and asked what he told the nurse. 

“I told her you _hate hospitals with a passion_ and you have a girlfriend you’re just _ dying_ to see. You’re supposed to be setting up lights at a park right now because you’re proposing at dawn.” He answered nonchalantly, unlocking his phone and texting someone. 

“Why would you tell her that? And why girlfriend!?” 

“Girls are suckers for proposal stories and I promised her I would tell her how it turned out if she helped me get you out of here.” 

“Why girlfriend, though?” 

“Dude, we live in Korea. We might be making progress but not everyone is a-ok with the LGBTQ+ community yet, y’know?” 

“Why did you have to say I was proposing, isn’t it easier to just tell her I want to see my ‘girlfriend’ at a different part in the hospital.” 

“Ah-ha! So you _ do_ want Kyungsoo to be your boyfriend! And shut up with all the questions!” He huffed, walking faster to the point he was leaving Jongin behind.

“Hey, brother in law, you coming or not?” 

Jongin dutifully ran along and caught up to Jongdae. 

“In all seriousness though, Jongin, if you’re coming with me it means you don’t just want Kyungsoo to be a fling. He’s a sensitive dude and we are not very forgiving friends, Baekhyun and I will fuck you up no questions asked." He looked Jongin up and down again. "Kyungsoo trusted you to tell you about hi anxiety and when he told you that he struggles a lot- he means it, Jongin. He took you to the park and I’m assuming he showed you the place, _ he hasn’t even shown me the place!_” Jongdae sighed, dropping his hand that he had pointed to himself dejectedly to his side. “We know he’s old enough to take care of himself, but he means the world to us and we would do anything for him. If you can’t deal with stuff like this happening every couple of months, then I suggest you leave. No one will hold it against you. I’ll just tell him you weren’t’t up for it.” 

“Look, I know you guys are all really close, but _honestly_ in like the three hours that I have known him, I can’t get him out of my mind. For a hot minute I thought I was gonna die back there, but I was still worried about Kyungsoo. I want to be his boyfriend! I don’t know if I _ can_ to be his boyfriend, I mean don’t get me wrong he is-“ 

“Watch it.” Jongdae warned. “Don’t go talking about my Kyungsoo in a demeaning way.” 

“He’s a beautiful person and I want to be in his life. If he doesn’t want to be my boyfriend then I’m fine with that but I do want to be his friend… brother in law.” He finished nudging Jongdae with his shoulder, a goofy smile plastered on his face. 

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Calm down hoe, you said it yourself- y’all’s just met three hours ago. You're not my brother in law until Kyungsoo says the words.” Jongdae waved him off again. “I swear, your bitch ass is talking like we’re in Romeo and Juliet!” 

“Well, you’re the one that started it!” 

Jongin hand’t noticed that Jongdae had stopped walking. He was lost in his thoughts and was about to begin to speak to Jongdae again. 

“His room is in here, dingus.” Jongdae stared at Jongin in amusement and pointed to the white door. 

“Oh.” 

“Baek..." Jongdae knocked softly on the door before opening it. "We’re here…” he whispered.

“We?!” Jongin heard as a response. ‘_Oh yea, his friends are weird. _ If they love him this much, though… maybe we _are_ like Romeo and Juliet, y’know except for the part about dying together… and dating a minor… and running away together… and having sex… you know what never mind we’re nothing like Romeo and Juliet!’ Jongin shook his head, willing the thought away. 

In a flash, Baekhyun was out of the room and up in Jongin’s face. Jongin cowered into himself, afraid of the male in front of him. 

“What are you doing here, huh? Here to hurt Kyungsoo again?!” He stood on his tippy toes and pulled up his sleeves again. 

“Jongdae, hold my earrings!” He was furiously removing the array of metal in his earlobes. Jongdae laughed and stood in-between them. He grabbed Baekhyun by the wrists and pulled him aside. 

“Baek, calm down I already talked to him- he’s cool.” He pulled Baekhyun to the far side of the hallway, not letting go of his wrists.

“I am?” Jongin perked up like a puppy. 

Jongdae rolled his eyes at Jongin as he turned Baekhyun around so they could speak in hushed tones. Well, Jongdae was hushed, Baekhyun was reacting very loudly. 

“Really? You’re sure? Oh my god! But why?! Well, I get why." Baekhyun turned at checked Jongin out before snickering and returning to his conversation with Jongdae. "But still, it doesn't make sense! He said that? Really? Wow what a dork! Seriously? I know! I know! Wait, _ **what?!**_ It _ is_ like Romeo and Juliet! Except for all the depressing stuff and the sexy times- you know what never mind it's not Romeo and Juliet.” 

Jongin stood there awkwardly as the friends had their ‘secret’ conversation. He caught a peek of the inside of the room and recognized Kyungsoo’s phone case on the bedside table. He took his chances and quietly stepped inside while Baekhyun and Jongdae were lost in their own conversation.

(a/n: I've noticed I carry a lot of my lot through dialogue and I'm trying to improve on that! <strike> please leave a comment so I know I'm not talking to myself!</strike>

)


End file.
